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Who was the MVP of the 1980's
Coinstartled
Posts: 10,135 ✭✭✭✭✭
in Sports Talk
Any sport. High amatuer or professional level?
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Coinstartled
Posts: 10,135 ✭✭✭✭✭
Coinstartled
Posts: 10,135 ✭✭✭✭✭
Coinstartled
Posts: 10,135 ✭✭✭✭✭
Comments
Well, you can make a very strong case for Magic Johnson as far as basketball is concerned. Of course you have to add Larry Bird as well. Magic won more titles, but Larry Bird is just as great as Magic, if not better.
I watched almost every game Magic played. Never been entertained more in my life.
Hockey is my 4th favorite sport.
I've never seen one athlete dominate a team sport as much as The Great One.
Four Stanley Cups in the 80's.
Gretzky is my choice.
Montana
Gretzky
Hulk Hogan
Mike Tyson
Gretzky
For me it was Larry Bird. No questions asked. He was, imo, the GOAT.
Edit to add: also, for me, Marvin Hagler.
These two men defined 80s sports for me and were must see TV, seeking out high lights, interviews.
I am happy that Hagler, atleast as of the last time I checked, seems to have survived with his brain pretty well intact
Honorable Mention: Mary Lou Retton
Great answer.
Hulk Hogan was huge. You're right. And Tyson.....wow! Larger than life.
The Rooney’s who sold out the stadium seats for the next 15 years
Best place to buy !
Bronze Associate member
if any former pugilist is ok between the ears, it's probably him. no one ever KO'd him, and only Juan Roldan knocked him down............and that was a quasi-knockdown at best.
one of the most durable chins -- and one of the best nicknames -- ever.
Marvelous Marvin Hagler. I just re-watched the Hearns fight after posting this. Good stuff.
Edit to add: he definitely slipped.
Agree with most listed - Bird, Magic, Montana, but #1 Gretzky
...and no baseball player has been mentioned.
Gretzky was on another level from everybody else in that decade.
While my mind always turns first to baseball, there was nobody in the 1980s that was to baseball what Gretzky was to hockey or Bird/Magic were to basketball. Henderson was the best, and great, but not that level great.
Carl Lewis
ISO 1978 Topps Baseball in NM-MT High Grade Raw 3, 100, 103, 302, 347, 376, 416, 466, 481, 487, 509, 534, 540, 554, 579, 580, 622, 642, 673, 724__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ISO 1978 O-Pee-Chee in NM-MT High Grade Raw12, 21, 29, 38, 49, 65, 69, 73, 74, 81, 95, 100, 104, 110, 115, 122, 132, 133, 135, 140, 142, 151, 153, 155, 160, 161, 167, 168, 172, 179, 181, 196, 200, 204, 210, 224, 231, 240
NHL- Gretzky
NFL- Montana
MLB-Nolan Ryan, Ozzie Smith (MLB was hard to pick)
NBA- Magic/ Bird
WWF- Hogan
WCW- Ric Flair
Boxing- Tyson
RIP Mom- 1932-2012
Larry Holmes - Won his first 48 fights.
John McEnroe - 3 Wimbledon's(5 finals) 3 U.S. Opens(4 finals)
Terry Bradshaw was AMAZING!!
Ignore list -Basebal21
Ivan Lendl - 3 French (5 finals), 1 Australian (2 finals), 3 US (8 straight finals)
Also had 2 Wimbledon finals without winning.
Edwin Moses is not a ridiculous answer.
Edwin Moses s a very good answer!
Lendl would give his left arm for one of John's Wimbledon titles.
Terry Bradshaw was AMAZING!!
Ignore list -Basebal21
Very true. But Lendl still had more success overall.
I would probably disagree. They both ended the year #1 four times in the 80's. McEnroe posted the best single-season match record (for a male player) in the Open Era with win-loss record: 82–3 (96.5%) set in 1984. Grand slam titles (1980's )McEnroe -
13(6 singles, 7 doubles) Lendl - 7 (singles).
Terry Bradshaw was AMAZING!!
Ignore list -Basebal21
I liked both of these guys as well as Connors (1970's), but seriously a tennis player being the MVP of the 1980's?
Why not a Tennis player? They are great athletes.
Terry Bradshaw was AMAZING!!
Ignore list -Basebal21
A good argument in favor of Johnny Mac! That said, let's be really honest, nobody cares about Grand Slam doubles titles when it comes to talking the greatness of a player.
All these people are great athletes. In my opinion you have to be competing directly with an opponent to be considered truly great. Boxing, wrestling (sorry, not Hulk Hogan wrestling), football, hockey, basketball. Probably a few other sports I am missing.
No bowlers, tennis players, pole vaulters or golfers would/should be eligible for athlete of the decade imo.
I am NOT saying they all can't be incredibly skilled, and great athletes, but to be able to excel with a competitor physically "fighting" you is harder than hitting a tennis ball, no matter how well you strike it or how quickly you can get to it.
By this logic, baseball players are not eligible. Hmm ...
Golfer is the only athlete than can hit the ball 1000 feet. Pole vaulter can propel himself 20 feet into the air. Tennis matches can run a grueling 6 hours. You don't get to put in a sub when you get tired.
Worthy athletes all.
Incorrect.
Terry Bradshaw was AMAZING!!
Ignore list -Basebal21
https://www.espn.com/espn/page2/sportSkills
Terry Bradshaw was AMAZING!!
Ignore list -Basebal21
I did struggle a bit with excluding Baseball players. Hitting a ball coming at you 90-100 MPH and moving up/down/in/out of the strike zone is most likely the hardest single thing to do in sports.
Never said they weren't great athletes. I used to be able to hit a golf ball pretty far (and sometimes straight) but doubt that I could even foul off a major league pitch.
Ever tried to skate down the ice at full speed with a guy checking you and try to pass or shoot a hockey puck? A little tougher than hitting a ball sitting on the ground, or on a tee.
How about Horseshoe players, I have seen some AMAZING guys who could "pitch" ringer after ringer.
Some dart players are quite good too. Many have to perform while drunk. ;-)
That's a pretty good list. Especially at the top 5 rankings!
Had to laugh when I saw golf was a little harder than cheerleading. ;-)
Terry Funk turned the corner in the 80's starring in Road House with Patrick Swayze after a raucous 70's decade....he is my MVP~
Standing still and hitting a ball is harder than chasing down one going faster to hit it? That's some Dime level logic.
Toughest sport to play is NBA center. Growing to 7 foot is not easy.
Ha ha. I see what you did there.
Tennis Racquet slightly bigger than a baseball bat and has a flat surface. Might take a bit more time for the tennis ball to get to you than the baseball. Less danger of getting hurt if being hit with ball in tennis too. Not to mention eight guys in front of you trying to get you out.
Nice try.
I will concede that Tennis is close to the top of the difficult sports.
Yes! ;-)
not a big hockey fan, but over the entire decade, no one was so far above any other player in the sport and just dominated on a game by game basis than GRETSKY. In the first six years of the decade, he totalled over 1200 points. His team was in contention for the championship every year, winning 4 times. Just total dominance! Played in virtual obscurity in Edmonton.
Gretzky led the league in assists every year and goals 5 times during the decade.
Total dominance is correct.
Montana 6 pro bowls 4 Super Bowl wins.
Mike Tyson had a dominant 5 year run.
Magic/Bird were awesome. I'll go with Magic, but awfully close.
Schmidt
Yes, only the eskimos knew his name before he jumped to LA.
I wouldn't go that far, but he played a sport that is probably #4 in the Big $ sports in the US, in a game without a national TV contract and in a place that most people don't even know where it is.
Hockey....Gretzky
Baseball....Henderson
Basketball....Magic
Football...Montana
Boxing...Tyson
Best athlete of the 80's was Bo Jackson.
Its almost as hard as returning a 150 MPH serve.
Terry Bradshaw was AMAZING!!
Ignore list -Basebal21
Off of a bounce.
Do you think hitting a baseball off of a bounce would be easier?
Terry Bradshaw was AMAZING!!
Ignore list -Basebal21